a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to machine elements which are useful as pedal accessories and, more particularly, to accessories which are useful in conjunction with bicycle pedal toe clip devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanism for maintaining the orientation of a bicycle pedal which is in combination with a toe clip in such a manner as to provide ease of entry due to the prevention of the tipping of the pedal due to the weight of an associated toe clip.
b) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the technology relating to bicycle construction has become more refined. As a part of this refinement specific forms of bicycles have been devised according to the intended usage of the bicycle. Such forms include light weight racing bikes, rugged mountain bikes, conventional touring bikes and the like. With respect to bicycles intended to be used in sporting competition, such as racing, mountaineering and the like, it has constantly been the goal to design all parts of the bicycle in a manner which enhances the efficiency of the use of the energy of the cyclist and the efficiency of the bicycle. For example, the wheels of a racing bicycle are generally made as light and as thin as possible without weakening their strength to a point at which they will become unreliable. Additionally, such bicycle wheels are provided with structures which enable the wheels to be quickly removed and replaced in the case of tire or wheel damage.
By contrast, mountain bikes often have tires which are heavier, wider, and more textured than the tires which are normally used with touring or racing bicycles. In order to offset some of the increased weight gain, it is the practice to reduce the diameter of mountain bike tires. However, mountain bikes require as much clearance as possible between the pedals and the ground in order to prevent contact with various impediments, such as rocks, brush and the like. As a result, modern mountain bike frames have been designed in a manner which moves their bottom brackets upward. Moreover, in the use of such mountain bikes it is not unusual to start on uphill or uneven terrain, thus leaving much less time available to coast, without pedalling, while trying to insert a foot into a mis-oriented toe clip. If the rider misses on the first attempt and must pedal using the back side of the pedal, the toe clip itself may operate much like an open bucket, posing even greater potential problems of snaring rocks, shrubs and other items on the ground.
The pedals of all bicycles are intended to serve an extremely important function in coupling the muscle power of the cyclist to the drive system of the bicycle in such a way as to most efficiently propel the bicycle. Therefore, the arrangement and the construction of the pedals are designed so as to enhance, as much as possible, the efficiency of energy transfer from the cyclist to the bicycle drive system. However, as is explained in more detail below, two primary conditions for achieving maximum efficiency and minimum loss of time in present bicycle designs are generally not satisfied by pedal arrangements which are in use in most high performance and competition bicycles.
As is well known, a pair of diametrically opposed rotary cranks are mounted on a common axle which is fixed to a sprocket gear and supported by the bicycle frame. An outwardly projecting axle is secured to the outer distal end of each rotary crank. A bicycle pedal is mounted on each such axle. Each pedal is freely rotatable with respect to the axle on which it is mounted, usually with races of ball bearings being utilized to enhance its ability to rotate. In use, a rider exerts pressure on one or both bicycle pedals to cause the rotary cranks to rotate. With each revolution of each rotary crank the pedal and axle which are associated with that crank also rotate one with respect to the other through one complete revolution. The rotary crank causes the sprocket gear to rotate, which in turn drives a bicycle chain, which then in turn drives a relatively smaller sprocket gear, which causes the drive wheel of the bicycle to rotate. During this entire power transmission operation, the bicycle pedal, which is free to rotate with respect to the axle on which it is mounted and connected to the crank, is maintained in a substantially horizontal attitude at all times by the foot of the cyclist.
In more sophisticated bicycles and in competition bicycles, in order to perfect the connection between the pedal and the foot of the cyclist, each pedal is generally provided with a "toe clip" mechanism. Such a toe clip mechanism normally includes two components. The first component of a toe clip is a toe piece which is designed to limit the forward motion of the riders foot so that it will not slide forward off of the pedal. Typically, this first component is fastened to the leading edge of the pedal and extends forward thereof far enough to accommodate the toe of the shoe of the cyclist. From there it curves upwards around what will be the location of the toes of the foot of a rider, and ends in a connecting element, such as a loop, which is far enough above the beginning of the instep to accommodate the foot of the cyclist. The second component of a toe clip is an adjustable strap which is threaded through the connecting element of the first component which is located above the instep, and then through the pedal. The second component thereby provides an adjustable strap which encircles and is connected to the foot of the rider about the instep. The connection of the second component with the foot of the rider will cause the pedal to be raised when the foot of the cyclist is raised. This is a particularly important factor for racers, since such toe clips make it possible for the cyclist, in addition to pushing down, to pull upwards on the pedal. This increases the power a rider can apply to the bicycle, and is especially important in sprint situations. It is thus seen, that as a result of the use of toe clips, bicycles can be made to operate more efficiently.
Toe clips also help riders to avoid possible injuries of the type that would occur when the foot of the rider slips off of the pedal. Depending on the amount of power being applied to the pedal at the time that such a slip occurs, this can result in an injury to the shin of a rider by the bicycle pedal, sudden contact between the top horizontal bar of the bicycle and the crotch of the rider, a fall from the bicycle, or various combinations of all the above. Therefore, such toe clip mechanisms are generally considered a necessity by all bicycle racers and most serious bicycle riders.
As a result of the attachment of toe clips to bicycle pedals, the combined assembly of the pedal and toe clip has a decided amount of top heaviness. Because of this, when a bicycle pedal having a toe clip attached to it is not engaged by the foot of a cyclist, the top heavy pedal generally orients itself in an attitude in which the forward edge of the pedal turns downwardly, with the top surface of the pedal at an angle to the horizontal. While in this attitude the toe clip is situated to the front of and below the axle which carries the pedal, thereby making the entry of the toe of a rider to the open end of the top clip difficult. As a result of the above imbalance, considerable inconvenience is encountered by a cyclist when he or she attempts to place his or her shoe on a conventional pedal to which a toe clip is attached. Since the toe clip and pedal are substantially inverted with respect to their preferred position of operation, before engaging the pedal the cyclist must first return the pedal to its proper substantially horizontal attitude of use. This is usually accomplished by first engaging the trailing edge of the mis-oriented pedal and toe clip structure with the toe and sole portion of the shoe, and then rolling the pedal backwards to orient the pedal to a substantially horizontal attitude at which the cyclist can properly engage the pedal and toe clip. When initiating this procedure from a standing start, a cyclist will usually first easily put one foot in the toe clip of the near side pedal, and then initiate either a coasting movement of the bicycle or complete a portion of a pedal stroke to provide enough forward momentum to cause the bicycle to coast. As a result of this, the engaged pedal is normally located in a substantially down position, and the non-engaged pedal is in a substantially up and forwardly tilted position at which an attempt can be made to enter the second toe clip and pedal with the second foot. Getting the foot into the second toe clip and pedal is more difficult, and may constitute an action requiring more dexterity than many cyclists can easily muster. As a matter of fact, the degree of difficulty of such a maneuver is sufficiently intimidating to keep many riders from using toe clips.
A rider, while stopping and dismounting, will typically leave the bicycle pedal crank arms in a substantially vertical alignment. To swing one leg over a bicycle, as is necessary when dismounting, most riders hold the handlebars firmly, lift their posterior off the seat, stand up with their weight on one leg on one pedal, and swing the other leg over the bicycle frame either behind or forward of the seat, while at the same time coming to a stop. In standing on one leg, the pedal and associated toe clip and crank on that side is forced to the bottom of its stroke. This positions the crank arms in a substantially vertical alignment. The last foot which the rider removes from the bicycle will typically be from the lower pedal. To start riding again, the rider must substantially reverse the process. When using a bicycle equipped with toe clips and with easy terrain ahead, most riders will place their first foot in the lower pedal, push off and coast, concentrate on orienting the second pedal, and then position their second foot on the upper pedal in the toe clip assembly. Alternatively if the terrain is more difficult, and a partial pedal stroke is needed to provide a faster coasting speed, the rider will insert the first foot at the lower position, pull up and forward on the toe clip until the pedal is near, but still forward of top dead center, push off while pedalling with the first foot for approximately one half stroke, concentrate on orienting the second pedal, and then insert the second foot on the second pedal in its toe clip assembly. A third method is used where the terrain is even more difficult. In the third method the first foot is inserted on the first pedal and in its toe clip, the second foot is placed on the back side of the other pedal, and the bicycle is pedalled until sufficient speed is obtained so that a moment can be devoted, while coasting, to concentrate on orienting the second pedal and into the second toe clip. Experience has shown that a cyclist who has his or her feet on the ground, or who has disengaged his or her foot from one or both of the pedals to avoid falling, frequently loses a substantial amount of productive effort and time while reorienting the pedals so that they can properly receive the foot. Moreover, during such an interval when the cyclist is reorienting the pedal to return it to its reentry and operating attitude, not only is the cyclist prevented from exerting full useful effort in propelling the bicycle, but in addition his or her attention may be dangerously distracted from the path which is being travelled. This may, in turn, limit the cyclists ability to maneuver the bicycle. Consequently, a condition of considerable instability and potential danger may occur.
Heretofore, one way of alleviating the above-identified problem of mis-oriented pedals and toe clips has been through the use of a counterweight to balance the weight of the toe clip. Known examples of such counterweight arrangements are set forth and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 553,638, 614,856; 622,543; 643,896; 651,084; and 1,834,296. While the counterweight arrangements of these references appear to alleviated the initial attitude and orientation problem of the toe clip and pedal combination, such solutions do not necessarily alleviate all of the difficulties, and in some instances cause new problems. When light weight counterweights are used, during dynamic situations the bicycle pedal will tend to rotate around its axle to an even greater degree than would occur without such counterweights. This complicates the orienting of the foot of the rider to the pedal. To overcome this tendency, the counterweight on the bottom of the pedal is generally quite heavy, thereby adding substantial undesirable weight to the bicycle. Furthermore, clearance beneath the pedals is an important factor, particularly in the use of mountain bikes. The addition of large counterweights below the pedals can cause problems by providing a projection which may catch on terrain such as rocks and shrubs. As a result of the foregoing considerations, it is seen that counterweights on pedals may provide so much unnecessary and unneeded interference and weight, that the only current application of such counterweights is on stationary exercise bicycles for which weight is not a concern.
Another solution to the problem of mis-oriented pedals and toe clips is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 605,536. This reference teaches a side clip in lieu of a toe clip arrangement. While the side clip will generally orient the pedal in the appropriate attitude due to its weight arrangement, a portion of this side clip hangs beneath the pedal, thereby reducing bottom clearance and posing potential problems of snaring rocks, shrubs and other items on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,563 describes yet another solution to the problem of bicycle toe clip and pedal orientation. In this particular reference, the bicycle pedal has a magnetic connection between the pedal and the pedal crank. This magnetic connection is intended to orient the upper surface of the pedal in a substantially horizontal position when the pedal has turned through an angle of approximately 90.degree. beyond a top dead center (TDC) position of the crank, that is with the crank is in a substantially horizontal position. This presents the rider with an awkward entry position as he or she cannot rest a portion of his or her weight on the opposite pedal foot if the crank arms are to be held horizontal. Also, such magnetic connections are, by their very nature, weak, tenuous and easily broken. An additional problem with magnetic connections is particularly pertinent to mountain bike usage. Mountain bikes tend to function in a harsh environment including muddy and dusty roads. Since magnetic connections require precise alignment for strong attraction, and since such alignment may be interfered with by diamagnetic materials such as dirt, mud and the like, the alignment may be interfered with. Thus, such environmental factors could prevent satisfactory operation of this prior art magnetic orientation device.
Finally, many of these prior art devices are, of necessity, "factory equipment" which would be difficult to easily retro-fit on the pedals of the large number of existing bicycles.
Such a device would function best if it could be associated with both pedals, and would hold both the first pedal, as well as the second pedal in the correct, but different orientations, as needed. In parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 293,294, entitled "Orientation Device For A Bicycle Pedal" filed on Jan. 4, 1989, and in many other prototype devices of the present invention, provision was made for easy entry to the second pedal, but the mechanism had the potential to make entry of the first foot onto the first pedal more difficult. These solutions caused a problem by sometimes holding the first pedal and toe clip upside down when the first crank arm was down. Thus, it has been determined that there is a need for a single device that can correctly orient both the first (lower) and second (upper) pedal into their proper, but different orientation positions.
It can thus be seen that there still remains a need for a simple, yet effective and stable mechanical arrangement for orienting a bicycle pedal, especially one having a toe clip, such that the upper surface of the pedal is in a proper attitude, orientated for easy engagement by the foot of a cyclist. Furthermore, any such device should, of necessity, be light weight and be of a design in which a minimal or no amount of clearance beneath the pedal is lost. For safety reasons it would need to avoid any interference with or obstacle to the rapid or emergency removal of the foot from the toe clip, for example, in the midst of a fall. It is further seen that it would also be desirable to have a light weight, simple, safe, yet effective and stable yet disengagable mechanical arrangement for orienting both the first (lower) and second (upper) pedal, especially one having a toe clip, which device would provide substantially no interference with the clearance beneath the pedal, and yet be easily retro-fitted on existing pedals. Finally, there is a need for such a device which is capable of being easily installed as either "factory equipment," or easily retro-fitted on existing bicycle pedals.